Post 100

Hard to believe... I've made it to my 100th post!

I've been thinking long and hard about what to write about on this momentous occasion.  As you know, I'm still recovering these days, so unfortunately I don't have any big ideas or tutorials ready to share.  I've been saving a post about my wedding quilt, which I made 6 years ago, but I think that's more appropriate for my anniversary.  Personal stories have been sneaking into my posts a bit too much lately, anyway (not on purpose, but it just so happens that my personal life is a subject I'm well-versed in.)

So... how to celebrate?

It occurred to me that one of the best ways to celebrate LwYH's 100th post would be to salute the blogs that inspire me.  There are many, of course (some I follow more faithfully than others), and some of them you yourself may have visited on occasion.  I've decided to put only my top five favorites to save your eyes.

5.  Oh Happy Day!

*  This delightful little blog is run by the lovely and talented Jordan, originally from San Fransisco and currently living in Paris.  Her blog is so fresh and fun - full of party ideas, fashion suggestions, and all-around creativity.  I am constantly scouring her blog for new ideas.  I also love the occasional photographs of Paris.  (This is my personal favorite.)

4.  Strawberry Chic

*  I love the ideas that Andrea shares on this blog.  I've actually used some in my blog before (her diy cake stands were perfect for my cake decorating party last summer.)  She shares many different ideas for home decor, diy projects, thrifty shopping, and party planning (of course!)

3.  Amy Atlas Designs

*  Amy Atlas is the creator of the universally popular "candy bar" that many of us have seen and enjoyed at parties in the past few years.  She shares photographs from event planners all over the world, as well as giving helpful party-planning advice periodically.  Because there are so many creative people connected to the blog, she often posts several times per day (which means that I often miss some of her posts).  But I have definitely been inspired by her blog many times!

2.  Such Pretty Things

*  Jessica's beautiful blog was the reason I was inspired to start my own.  She is so creative, and constantly drawn to make lovely things lovelier.  She has shared so many charming things, including her own party ideas, vintage collections, and shopping adventures, and I have used her tutorials more times than I can count. 

And, my number one favorite blog...

1.  Posie Gets Cozy

*  We should all have an Alicia in our life.  Alicia and (sometimes) her husband Andy post here, showing us glimpses of their domestic adventure, taking us on walks, sharing moments of their romance and beauty through her wonderful photography.  She's the kind of person you wish lived next door to you, though, through her blog, it almost feels like she does.  I always feel my day is complete if Alicia has shared a bit of hers. 

I'd like to thank the wonderful ladies who faithfully post on these blogs... you are an inspiration to me.  If you are reading this, make time to check these out.  They really are terrific!

Happy 100th Post to me.  :-)

~ Sarah

A Pinterest Autumn

Pinterest - the virtual Pinboard.  By a show of hands, who has experienced Pinterest, and the unexpected addiction that comes with it?  It's really a nifty idea, but I have found that my work productivity dropped significantly since I received my Pinterest invitation, and my craft/d-i-y project list grew exponentially.  Truly, though, it's very convenient to collect links in one place, and I've recommended it to my clients with weddings coming up.  This way they can save pictures of things that inspire them, which helps me to plan an event around their tastes.  Fabulous.

I haven't been working on projects lately, though my list is growing.  I'm in the middle of a couple of months off from event-planning, which has been beautiful.  I've been systematically cleaning my house, and finished (yes, finished!) the laundry last weekend.  But who really blogs about laundry and cleaning?  {I'm only doing so to explain my bloggy absence.}  So in lieu of another d-i-y post (recipe, craft or otherwise) I thought I'd walk you through one of my virtual pinboards (named Fallishness.)  I'll site the original source where I can, but Pinterest doesn't always take you back where it came from, and sometimes the links are re-posts to begin with, and no source is sited.  If you happen to know the original post for any of these, please share, because I would so love to credit the rightful owner.

Let's start with table decorations.  How simple and delightful are these apple candle holders?  Such a perfect little Autumny touch.

Original post here

And speaking of apples, how about a whole bowl of apples turned centerpiece?  My husband wouldn't hesitate to pick one off the pile as he walked by, and that would be just fine with a decoration like this.  Who says practical can't also be beautiful? 

Anything with hurricane lamps is ok in my book!  I love these colors:

Original post here

I fell in love with this simple project.  Mason jars wrapped in twine, spray painted, then tied with a bow and illuminated with tea lights.  Stunning!

Can I just tell you that I already have the paper purchased for this project?  The world's cutest pumpkins, ladies and gentlemen.

Original post here.

It's dangerous for me to concentrate on fall food too much, however, I loved this pumpkin made from two bundts put together.  On my pinboard, I called this a Pumpkindt.

A few unique pumpkin decorating ideas:

Original post here

I can't help assuming that this is a home further South than mine, as our wood burner is already in action.

Original post here

And finally, some glittery pumpkins.  

Original post here

So how do you decorate for Autumn?

~ Sarah

Dear Photograph,

Hey, Readers!

I had a FANTASTIC weekend with my husband and dear friends!  I plan to share all about our Iron Chef Camper recipes, but I'm not quite ready to do so yet.  (*sheepish smile*)

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a site that I stumbled on this morning.  It's pretty awesome; check it out: Dear Photograph.

~ Sarah

Bake It Pretty

Mini-post!

I realize that I have professed to being a "non-baker" ("disastrous baker" is more like it), but when the need arises, I do pull out my baking pans, measuring cups and eggs, and make a heroic attempt at something edible from my oven.  Taste is always the wild card, but, of course, that doesn't stop me from spending time and energy on the appearance of my baked goods, which, thankfully, I have a little more control over.  :)

So, it's no wonder that I like Bake It Pretty... a website for cupcake artists (flourists??).  Check it out! 

~ Sarah

Dirty Gourmet

Mini-post!

It's already Tuesday!! wait, Wednesday!!!  {It always takes me a little time to get back to normal after a holiday.  But I'd be cool with having to re-adjust myself every week or two.}

It's officially summer (according to the LwYH Calendar), so the camping and kayaking trips are abounding.  Last year, we played our first annual weekend of "Iron Chef Camper" (ICC) with some wonderful friends of ours.  ICC isn't quite like the show - instead, one family cooked one day, and the other cooked the next, both trying to out-do the other.  But truly, no one really loses at ICC... you spend the weekend fine dining while covered in bugspray and campfire smoke.  Sound divine??  Trust me, it is!

Anyways, my wonderful and worthy opponent beat me last year before breakfast was even over, so I've been doing actual homework (recipe research!) this year.  I stumbled across a site made for gatherings of my people... Dirty Gourmet!  If you are a camper, you must check it out... some of these recipes sound phenomenal!!  Please share if you do.

Enjoy the dirt! :)

~ Sarah

A glimpse of last year's hors d'oeuvres.... Roasted Mozzarella (as
in, roasted like a marshmallow!) served over fresh basil and
Bruschetta and gently pressed between two Ritz crackers. 
Talk about fine dining in the dirt!

Hello, Cupcake!

I know, I know, none of my posts have had anything whatsoever to do with each other.  This one won't either.  lol  I'm sure one day my categories will start to form some sort of pattern, but for now, we'll stick with sharing what comes to my mind in the order in which it is received. 

There is a FABULOUS book on the market called "Hello, Cupcake!"  It has a sister, "What's New, Cupcake?"  I proudly own both, and use them frequently.  If you read my blog from earlier this week (see "Chocolate Caramel Trifle") you know that I do not profess to being a baker.  However, I do make exceptions, especially when it comes to our girls' program at church.  One of the clubs works on badges that relate to animals, and so, on their badge night, I would make cupcakes that matched whatever animal they were working on.  They looked so wonderful (thanks to "Hello, Cupcake!") that they never even noticed the taste. (whew!)

Here are some of the cupcakes I made based on ideas in the book.  The professionals certainly did them much better, but they turned out pretty well, anyways.  :-)

1 - CHOCOLATE BUTTERFLIES

Aren't they fabulous??  They are fairly simple to make, too.  You draw the outline of a butterfly wing on paper, and then place it under a piece of wax paper.  Using melted chocolate in a pastry bag, you trace the outline of the wing.  Then, fill the inside of the wing with orange chocolate, and mix them a little using a toothpick.  Before they harden, sprinkle small, white non pareils.  After they harden, carefully press them into the top of the cupcake, and decorate the bodies using mini brown M & Ms. 

2 - LADYBUGS

Are you a Sesame Street kid?  Do you remember the song: "One two three, four five six, seven eight nine, ten eleven twelve, ladybugs came to the ladybug picnic?"  I sang it for a week after this!

The cupcakes are decorated with white icing and green sprinkles.  Then, place an oreo in the middle, and using a pastry bag, decorate the edges with yellow and orange petals.  The ladybugs are red M & M's that are decorated with chocolate icing and the world's tiniest pastry bag tip.

3 - LIONS

These were probably the hardest cupcakes.  They look simple, but they're not.  Those manes are made of the pull-apart Twizzlers, which I found to be very frustrating.  How did I manage it?  I handed it to my Superman, and he took over the project using a freezer.  I believe he separated, cut, and froze them, in that order, but whatever he did, it was time-consuming.  The faces are just light orange frosting.  The ears are cheerios, the eyes are M & M's, the noses are pink Runts.  The mouth and freckles are drawn with a small round tip and chocolate frosting. 

4 - GOBBLE, GOBBLE!

A little time consuming but worth it.  These are made in two parts - a small and large cupcake.  Once they cooled, I frosted both kinds using caramel frosting, then rolled the outside in a sprinkle mixture I made.  The book calls for caramel jimmies, which my stores haven't discovered yet, so I used a mixture of gold sprinkles and turtle crunch (Wilton).  The eyes are white and brown frosting.  The noses are candy corn (by the way, do you have any idea how hard it is to find candy corn the day before Thanksgiving??)  The red thing is a fruit roll-up that I sliced into long pieces.

The tails are made from ginger cookies, and I stuck the candy corn feathers on using icing.  I placed the heads on the bodies right before serving, so you can only see one finished turkey in the bunch.  But trust me, they were stinkin cute.

5 - OWLS

These were definitely the easiest.  I loved them, too.  They're oreo cookies.  Use the 'icing' side for the eyes and the boring side for the ears.  My husband was happy to take care of the rejects.  The center of the eye is a brown M & M, and the nose is a banana runt.  I had fun making them look at each other and all over the place. 

{When cutting the ears, use your finger tips to spread a few drops of water on the cookie.  Let it get a tad soft, then slice carefully.  This helps the cut remain clean and reduces the chance of the cookie breaking.  My husband politely asked me not to use this method.}

There you have it!! 

I suggest you visit the website because it's certainly worth a look.  They have so many other ideas that I just haven't gotten around to trying yet.  Enjoy!

Here is the website: Hello, Cupcake!

~ Sarah